Apparel garment



Feb. 13, 1940. w, KQPS 2,190,030

v APPAREL GARMENT Filed July 28, 1938 3 sheets-sheet 1 i. I 'I INVENTOR WALDEMAR KPJ' ATTORNEY W. KOPS APPAREL GARMENT Filed July 28, 1938 3 Sheets-Sheet `2 ATTORNEY INVENTOR WHLDEMR H0196 BY Aziz- 2f :.7

Feb. 13, 1940.

w. Kops APPAREL GARMENT i Filed July 2s, 193s :s sheets-sheet :s

www we. o A T mn T 5 A Y Patented Feb. 13,y

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE,

2,190,030 .APrAnEL GARMENT.

Waldemar Kops, New York, N. Y., assignor'to Kops Brothers, Inc., New York, N.' Y., a oorporation of New York Application July 2s, 193s, serial No. 231,698

2 Claims.

stretch fabrics, i. e., containing rubber illaments or threads so .woven or knitted into the fabric as to give it the desired stretch and resistance to stretch. Such garments, however, have been limited in their gure molding properties since the principal tension of the rubber threads has been applied either-longitudinally or circumfer-l entially of the body of the wearer, or'both. Attempts have been made by designers in cutting the garments to provide a attening of the abdomen and the backline, but suchV cutting rey quires a very high degree of skill and has been onlyl partially successful in accomplishing this object.

It is an 'object of this invention to overcome the foregoing difliculties by providing a garment made of two-way stretch ,fabric having elastic threads so placed that tension is exerted along a diagonal line. Another object is to provide a ilgure molding garment in which at least the side portions surrounding the hips of the wearer are constructed of two-way stretch woven or knitted fabric having rubber threads so arranged as to exert the l principal tension diagonally of the garment.

A garment `in accordance withthis invention may be fashioned entirely of two-way stretch elastic fabric with elastic threads providing 'a diagonal tensioning eect in the garment, or garments may be made of various combinations of elastic, or combinations of elastic and inelastic sections provided with one or more side panels at each side having the diagonal tension.v .I have found that by utilizing two-way stretch fabric on the bias, a garment is produced which has new and improved ilgure molding qualities. The

foregoing and additional objects and advantages of the invention will be more fully understood by 'reference to the embodiments thereof illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

Figure lis a diagrammatic view of the righthand side of a girdle of the kind known heretofore and illustrated as it is worn.

gg I-"gure 2 is a similar diagrammatic view of the of fabric with only one seam at the side.

(ci. 2 3?) p n l right-hand side of a girdle such as illustrated in Figures 3, 4 and 5 embodying-this invention.

Figure 3`is a front view of a girdle made entirely of elastic knitted fabric and inaccordance with this invention. 5

` Figure 4 is a rear view of the girdle illustrated in Figure 3.

Figure 5 is a view of the right sid'e of the girdle illustrated i Figure 3.

Figure 6 illustrates one manner of cutting 10 elastic'fabric for use in garments constructed according to my invention.

.Figure 7 illustrates one manner of cutting tubular knit or woven elastic fabrics for use in garments of my invention with less Waste of 15 fabric.

Figure 8 shows another mannerA of cutting tubular knit or woven elastic, fabrics without substantial waste. I

Figure 9 illustrates a section or panel of elastic I2o fabric suitable for incorporation into a garment of my invention.

Referring more particularly to Figures 1 to 5, girdles and similar garments made heretofore oi' fabrics containing elasticor rubber threads. 25 havebeen made with rubber threads either in one or more panels or throughout, the garment, extending circumferentially of lthe body as illustrat'ed bythe lines l5. 'Such garments, or the Vinserts in such garments, exert a pull at right 30 angles to the body as shown by the arrows in Figure 1.

My invention accomplishes an improved attening and smoothing of the backline and abdomen, exerting a pull diagonally of the body as 35 .indicated by the arrows in Figure 2, by providing elastic threads I6 at least in the side portions of the garment so disposed as to produce a diagonal tension when the garment is worn.

The girdle shown in Figures 3, 4 and 5 is made 40 entirely of knitted fabric 'including rubber threads arranged to provide a two-way stretch. 'I'he girdle may be conveniently made of two or more pieces of fabric such as the front section il and thel rear section I8 sewed ,together at the 45 sides along the seams I9 and 20. If desired, however, the garment maybe made of a single piece Hose supporters 2i of any suitable type may be attached to the front and rear sections of the 50 girdle. i A

The front section ll of the girdle may be conveniently. cut from a strip of fabric knitted in one piece. Front section Il is so knitted that the main portion of the section contains rubber threads arranged to exert their principal tension diagonally downward from the center of the front section in the direction of the ribs 22. Rubber threads are preferably also included to provide su'icient stretch both circumferentially and longitudinally of the garment, as indicated by the groups of arrows in Figure 3. The top and bottom of the front section preferably comprise bands, in which rubber threads extend circumferentially of the garment at right angles to the ribs 23. Some vertical stretch may be provided in the upper and lower bands if desired,

r although this isnot necessary.

' form of upright Vs. The central or main portion of the rear section I8 is likewise preferably made of material containing rubber threads exerting their principal tension in the direction of the ribs 24, together with suiiicient stretch and some tension circumferentially and longitudinally of the garment as indicated by the groups of arrows in Figure 4. Bands also may be knitted integrally with this section along vthe upper and lower edges thereof and provided with rubber threads extending circumferentially of the garment at right angles to the ribs 25.

The garment attened out and in side elevation will then contain in the main portions of the fabric, rubber threads so arranged as to exert onally downward on each side of the garment from the center line 26 of the front section I1 to the center line 21 of the rear section I8, as indicated in Figure 5. `By providing two-way stretch material in the main portion of the garment, an additional amount of circumferential stretch of the garment is provided as compared with the use of one-way or two-way stretch material as heretofore used, while at the same time the desired diagonal tensioning due to arrangement of the rubber threads serves to produce in a simple but effective manner, a smooth and graceful fiattening of the abdomen and backline. Furthermore, any given garment having this construction achieves the desired gure molding with greater comfort to the wearer.

Attempts have been made to accomplish these results in, the cut of themgarment, but such attempts have been only partially successful. The diagonal pull of the rubber threads provides a bias effect such as is employed with inelastic ma terialto make a dress or the like adaptable to several different figures. This advantage is also present in the garments of my invention with the additional advantages due to the arrangement of ,with the improved ligure molding due to the angled tension.

The garments of this invention are preferably made of two-way stretch fabric, either knitted or woven, and may be cut from an elongated strip of two-way stretch fabric, such as the strip 36 in Figure 6. In order to cut panels or sections of fabric with the elastic threads disposed to provide a' tension diagonally of thel fabric, the pattern may be placed diagonally on the strip 36,

and the sections may be cut out to provide rectangular sections 31 with the rubber threads extending in general directions diagonally of the sides of the rectangular sections., Such a process of cutting, however, involves considerable waste of fabric, and it is considered impossible to weave fabric with rubber threads extending diagonally thereof. To avoid these diiiiculties, a fabric, either woven or knitted, in tubular form, s'uch as the tubular fabric 38 illustrated in Figure 7 may be provided. This tubular fabric may then be cut along a continuous line 39 extending spirally around the tube to provide an elongated strip of fabric having rubber threads exerting a tension diagonally thereof. Sections may be cut from this strip in the usual manner with no more than the usual waste. l

Another form of cutting a two-way stretch fabric for use in my invention is to provide a length of tubular knitted or woven two-way stretch fabric and to flatten this tube as shown at 40 of Figure 8. The flattened tube 40 may then be cut through both thicknesses thereof, starting from a common point 4I at one edge, and extending diagonally across the tube along the lines 42 and 43. This leaves a substantially square section 44 which, when opened up, has the elastic threads exerting their tension diagonally thereof, as indicated by the arrows in Figure 9 and the lines 45. In a similar manner, the tube may be cut transversely along the line 46 to provide a second square' 41, and this processl may be repeated as many times as desired. The

sections of fabric obtained by this method of cutting are suitable for use in garments in accordance with my invention with but very little waste.

By the lterm two-Way stretch fabric I intend to include not only woven and knitted fabrics in which rubber threads permit stretch and exert a tension in two directions at right angles to each Aequivalents of the vfeatures shown and describedor portions thereof, but recognize that various modifications are possible within the scope of the invention claimed.

I claim:

. 1. Av garment of the class described comprising a body-encircling member extending ovr the hips, `a portion of Isaid member extending from substantially the medial line at the front to substantially the medial line at the back around each side of the bodygbeing formed of material 'having elastic yarns disposed therein to provide elasticity in directions at right angles to each other,`a part of said elastic yarn being arranged vback and to impart to said portion of said member its principal tension in said diagonal..direc tion, said member having bands above and below said portion with elastic yarns stretchable and extending at least in part circumferentially of the garment to provide elasticity in a direction around the body for anchoring the garment to the body.

2. A garmentfof the class described comprising a body-en each side from substantially the medial line at the iront to substantially the medial line at the back being formed of knit material having elastic yarn disposed therein to 'impart elasticity thereto in directions at right angles to each other, at least a portion of said elastic yarn being arranged to extend generally in a diagonal direc--` member extending over tion downwardly from the front to the back oi the hips, a part of said member extending around said part of said member aroundeach side, said member having bands above and below said partv 4with elastic yarns stretchable and extending at WALDEMAR KOPS. 

